Batting

FRESNO, Calif. -- Eight different Hornets had at least one hit, including three apiece from Nicole Clark and Kortney Solis, as Sacramento State defeated CSU Bakersfield, 11-6, in the third round of the Fresno State Softball Kickoff Saturday morning at Bulldog Diamond.

The win for the Hornets (1-3) was their first of the season, and improved the team to 1-2 at the three-day, five-game tournament. Sacramento State's final two tournament games will come against UC Riverside, including one later this afternoon.

After combining for just three runs in its first three games of the season, Sacramento State's offense exploded for 11 runs and 15 hits in this morning's game. Of the eight Hornets with hits, five had multiple-hit games, comprised of Nicole Clark (3-for-5, two RBIs), Kortney Solis (3-for-5, two RBIs), Paris Prado (2-for-4, two runs), Sasha Margulies (2-for-4, two runs, one RBI) and Alexis Martinez (2-for-4, one run, two RBIs).

Clark, Solis, Martinez and Paige Castro (1-for-3) all had two RBIs. Five of the Hornets' runs came in the second inning when the team sent nine batters to the plate. Sacramento State had three hits and took advantage of three Bakersfield errors in the inning, as Castro had a two-run single and Solis an RBI-single to highlight the scoring.

The Hornets took a 6-0 lead in the top of the third after an RBI-single from Martinez scored Prado. Bakersfield responded with three runs in the bottom of the third to cut the Sacramento State lead to 6-3, but an RBI-triple from Margulies and an RBI-single from Martinez increased the lead to 8-3 in the fifth. The Hornets tacked on three insurance runs in the seventh after Clark came through with a two-run single and Solis had an RBI-single.

Sacramento State's Jennifer Hartman (1-0) picked up the win, allowing three runs in four innings while Kaitlyn Yerby threw the final three innings for her first career save.

Bakersfield's Kelsie Monroe (4-5) went the distance in the loss, allowing 11 runs (only three earned) and 15 hits over seven innings.